Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Malaysia's king Wednesday in a state visit analysts said was aimed at burnishing Beijing's credentials as a reliable partner and "not a hegemon."
Xi embarked this week on a Southeast Asia tour that has already taken him to Vietnam and will also include Cambodia, with Beijing trying to position itself as a stable alternative to U.S. President Donald Trump's punitive tariff regime.
Xi was welcomed by Malaysia's king, Sultan Ibrahim, in a colorful ceremony on Wednesday at the golden-domed Istana palace.
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